Reading
Acts 1:1-2:47
Drawing Near
How would you rate the reputation of Christ's church in the world today? Why?
The Context
Luke's book of Acts picks up where his Gospel left off, providing details of the early years of the church that Jesus had promised to build. Together, the two books, Luke and Acts, form a comprehensive and seamless account of how the followers of Jesus "turned the world upside down" (Acts 17:6) by taking the good news of the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus Christ to "uttermost part of the earth" (Acts 1:8).
The opening chapters of Acts portray the apostles and other disciples gathered together in Jerusalem just before the feast of Pentecost. Following Christ's ascension into heaven and a season of prayer, the time comes for the fulfillment of the promise of the indwelling Spirit (see John 14:16-17, 26; 16:5-15). This marvelous, miraculous outpouring of God provides the supernatural power for believers to take the life-changing message of the gospel to all nations. Acts 2 concludes with a snapshot of church life in the first century.
Keys to the Text
Holy Spirit: The Holy Spirit is the divine agent who creates, sustains, and preserves spiritual life in those who place their trust in Jesus Christ. The Holy Spirit is not merely an influence or an impersonal power emanating from God. He is a person, the third member of the Trinity, equal in every way to God the Father and God the Son. Among the many characterisitcs of personhood that the Hoy Spirit manifests are: He functions with mind, emotion, and will; He loves the saints; He communicates with them, teaches, guides, comforts, and chastises them; He can be grieved, quenched, lied to, tested, resisted, and blasphemed. Since Pentecost, the Holy Spirit has indwelt all believers, illuminating their understanding and application of God's Word. He fills them, seals them, communes with them, fellowships with them, intercedes for them, comforts them, admonishes them, sanctifies them, and enables them to resist sin and serve God.
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6 comments:
I believe that the reputation of Christ's church is different depending upon where you are at. Amercian Christians have a poor reputation because of sin in their life and compromise of their standards. However, in China, the church has a strong reputation because of their stand for Christ in spite of expected persecution for their faith.
1. Well I think in America some people see it as a joke because of Christian's (not all but some)reputation, they think well whats the point of going if they act just like me? also some think its boring. In different countries it's different though. Most people are happy if there is a church and then some don't underatand what we believe in different countries because no one has told them.
I think Christ Church is different where ever u are at. Some church have been shut down some have not.
I also think some people should try church out for themselves and not listen to what other say about church till they have been to one themselves.
I think it varies. Some people who know a true Christian think highly of the church. Others who only base their opinion on wishy washy Christian are more likely to say that their is no difference between people that call themselves Christians and non-Christians. This is a great example to us, as Christians, to know that we represent the church to the unsaved and their opinions will be based on how we live our lives.
I think the church has lost its reputation in the recent years due to many scandals that have involved the church and many christians whose testimony and actions have stained the church's reputation.
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